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The Individualist The sensitive, withdrawn type who is expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental. Type 4 characters should be some of the most vivid, emotionally alive people on the page. They feel everything at full volume, see beauty and meaning where others see nothing, and possess a rare capacity for genuine depth. And yet, when they don’t work, they become insufferable, wallowing in manufactured misery, pushing everyone away, and mistaking self-absorption fo

The Achiever The success-oriented, pragmatic type who is adaptive, excelling, driven, and image-conscious. Type 3 characters should be magnetic. They’re the ones who walk into a room and command attention, who set goals and crush them, who seem to have it all figured out. They’re charismatic, confident, and competent. And yet, when they don’t work on the page, they feel hollow — all surface, no substance. When Type 3s fall flat, they become cardboard cutouts of success. They’

The Helper The caring, interpersonal type who is generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing, and possessive. Type 2 characters should be some of the warmest, most compelling people on the page. They notice what others need, step in before being asked, and seem genuinely invested in everyone around them. And yet, when they don’t work, they become cloying, manipulative, or frustratingly self-sacrificing. When Type 2s fall flat, they feel like doormats or martyrs. They’re always h

The Reformer The rational, idealistic type who is principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionistic. Type 1 characters often look deceptively simple on the surface. They have clear principles, strong opinions about right and wrong, and a firm sense of how things should be done. And yet, they are some of the easiest characters to get wrong. When Type 1s don’t work on the page, they tend to feel rigid or preachy. They are the characters who are always correcting oth

Creating characters is one of my absolute favourite parts of writing, but I understand not everyone is blessed enough to have their characters appear to them fully formed from the moment of creation. Even for myself, who often instinctively knows who my characters are, there are times when I don’t understand why they are that way. This is where the Enneagram personality types come in. When I first started playing around with personality types for my characters, I started wit